“Little Man, Big Goals”: 11-Year-Old Leaves Surfing World in Awe by Riding Giant Waves While Risking His Life

The phrase ‘age no barrier’ has exemplified sports, but in a good way. Longevity and shelf life make or break an athlete. Athletes across all sporting realms are on a spree to defy norms and break set standards. In the recent swimming World Championships, a 100-year-old Iranian Taghi Askar has captured hearts and gazes alike. But the surfing world isn’t too far behind on grounds of performances undefined by age.

Be it longboards or short boards, big waves or small, nothing seems to be a cause of worry to the passionate souls out there. Riding the waves has always been the first choice of people residing in the coastal regions. So, naturally, hailing from a town on the Oaxaca-Pacific coastline has planted a love for surfing in a little legend’s heart, whose recent maneuver is sure to challenge the top names. Emulating the likes of Kelly Slater, what’s in the offing for this precocious 11 YO?

A surfing wunderkind for whom we doff our hats for

Vans Surf’s Instagram page features an 11-year-old Kalama Jedidiah Stratton, whose wave-play isn’t anything short of phenomenal. Board in tow and advancing towards the wave crests, he is the cynosure of all eyes. Dodging the big waves like a pro, Stratton steered forward with a whale chasing him. As risky as it sounds, the show served peak thrill to the ones watching him. The caption of Vans Surf reads, “Is there a @TheEddieAikau invite in @Kalama_Stratton’s future? TBD, but at 11-years-old, he seems to be on the right path. Last session in Hawaii before heading home to Puerto Escondido.” The following statement is sure to tremble fans to the core, “Breaching whales in the background for added bonus.”

With practice comes perfection, and the middle school surfer is living proof of that. At Waimea Bay, the big-wave spot welcomed the inexorable juggernaut in all his glory. Vans Surf also tagged Eddie Aikau’s Instagram page. The Eddie Aikau, one of the biggest surfing events, invites surfers to showcase high-level displays on the Waimea. Let’s see what fans had to say.

Global fans left awestruck

One fan showed gratitude to Vans Surf for bringing up this video as inspirational content. Said, “Thank you for sharing”, paired with a couple of red heart emojis. Another Instagram user said, “photo-bombing double whale breach and perfect ride–watch out for this kid. The ocean clearly loves him”, though had a fun tone, but was scared to bits.

READ MORE: Jeffrey Wright Says, “Would Get Down Here Every Day That I Could” When Asked About His Surfing Obsession

A fan accoladed the star surfer for his skills at such a tender age. Said, “Little man, big goals”. Someone else chimed in with “That is so cool” and another joined with “Heck yes Kalama!!” So bummed I missed seeing all of this by a week?? I was just there!!” said a frequent Waimea visitor who missed Stratton’s display by a small fraction. How far can the middle schooler go is a matter of time now.

Watch this story: A huge shock for surfing fans before vans pipeline from Kelly Slater and John John Florence